


Stand Tall

by smttnpegasus (butwhowouldbuythecupcakes)



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, F/M, The idea of Lexa wrestling just really sounded amazing, hope you guys like this as much as I do, wrestling au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-08-08 12:43:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7758277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butwhowouldbuythecupcakes/pseuds/smttnpegasus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For four years wrestling and taking care of her team has been the most important thing to Lexa Heda. A loss had alomst broken her but with the help of her mentor and best friend she pulled herself up but now headed into her senior year life has decided to through her another curve ball. A blonde-haired blue-eyed athletic training major of a curve ball. Through it all will she stand tall or crumble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this something completely new. I have this little journal that i write in every night before I go to bed and I have taken to writing some stories that have been stuck in my head and then typing them up the next morning. This is one fic that I absolutely love but it takes time to write it and really feel it is being done right. I figured while I am working on Familyverse and my Tarzan AU I can post chapters of this as I get them done. Hope you guys enjoy.

The sound of her phone blaring Halestorm woke her with a start. There hadn’t been any nightmares but she still hadn’t ever fell into a deep sleep. She rarely did these days. She let the music play for a few minutes but then silenced it and sat up.

She pushed her body up and stretched before dropping to the floor. The cold tile bit into her stomach but soon it was forgotten as she pushed herself through her morning routine of exercises.

She had a slight sheen of sweat over her stomach and the small of her back when she stepped on the scale that was tucked into the corner of her room.

She was just over eleven pounds more than she needed to be for season. That was actually a little low for where she needed to be. She would probably increase her carb and protein intake for the next few weeks, especially with Hell Week coming up.

She pulled on a light jacket and capri length compression pants then tied her tennis shoes on. She started with a slow jog till she reached the end of campus then she picked up the pace as she snaked through the abandoned city streets. Lexa loved this time. The sun was still down so most people were still asleep or at least inside getting ready for their days. She felt alone out on the road while the world slept but it wasn’t a bad feeling. She knew what that gut wrenching feeling of pure loneliness felt like, and this was better, different. She felt at peace with only the sound of her music pumping in her ears and the faint echo of her racing heart underneath it all.

As she rounded another corner she heard a door close and soon footsteps fell into cadence next to her. A quick glance confirmed that it was Anya. She had a beanie pulled low over her forehead and ears. Her dirty blonde hair was braided and bounced against her back with every stride. They continued in silence, neither one needing to fill the air with anything but the sound of shoes hitting pavement and labored breathes. As they turned back towards campus Lexa started to pump her arms harder and picked up speed pulling in front of Anya by several strides. The woman huffed and pushed herself to match Lexa’s pace. Lexa smirked when she noticed her trying to pull ahead. Anya could never turn down a challenge and neither could she. Before long they were both sprinting for everything they were worth to reach the front of the gym and the unofficial finish line of their unspoken race.

Lexa saw the final turn coming and poured on just enough speed to edge Anya out. She jumped up the three steps and momentarily posed like Rocky and turned to smile smugly at Anya. Said woman made it up the steps and then promptly collapsed unceremoniously on the ground. She was desperately sucking air into her deprived lungs. Lexa had her arms stretched over her head and even witht eh sprint she was recovering quickly.

“Sometimes…I really…hate you. I’m too damn…old for this shit.” Anya huffed between inhales of precious air.

“You can’t tell me that if you had won you wouldn’t be riding my ass right now.” Lexa said and dropped her arms feeling the extra stretch was no longer necessary for her recovering lungs.

Anya looked up and pretended to crane her neck for a better look, “Well, it is a rather fine ass.”

Lexa kicked her calf and scoffed, “Shut the fuck up.”

“Hey, I can make you run for that.” Anya pointed at her from her prone position but dropped her arm rapidly.

She knew she would regret this later but it was just too much fun to rile the woman up, “What? So I can beat you…again?”

Anya jolted up and threw her beanie at Lexa grumbling, “Asshole,” under her breath before flopping back onto the cool concrete.

Lexa laughed fully and heartily. She bent over and put her hands on her knees and let the deep laughter roll through her. She never really let herself be happy but these early mornings with Anya were something special. No one outside of her close knit circle ever saw this side of her and she liked it that way, but that didn’t mean she didn’t treasure these moments of light freedom.

Once they had both calmed from the laughter Lexa scooped up the beanie and offered a hand up to Anya.

She accepted gratefully and they turned together to head inside the gym. Lexa slung an arm around her shoulders, “You know you don’t always have to sprint the end with me.”

Anya pushed her arm away and acted supremely offended, “And admit defeat without a fight…never!”

Lexa laughed and shook her head. She never understood how she had been lucky enough to have a mentor, a friend like Anya. Just the thought of how they met still brought a smile to her face.

* * *

 

_Lexa hefted her bag up on her shoulder as she walked into the huge gym. Her father was walking next to her and she was trying to everything in at once. Her father shook hands with a large man that introduced himself as Gustus Pine. When he extended the same huge hand to her she tried to mimic her father’s stoic and stern hand shake and when a small smile ghosted onto the man’s features she internally exploded. This was a dream come true. She was going to be able to spend a week at Ark University. She was going to be able to use their weight room and run on their track and practice in their room. She had only drempt of this but now it was reality._

“ _Coach, which dorm are we supposed to take these rugrats to?” Lexa about fainted when she turned and saw whose voice that was. Anya Rivers, the real life Anya Rivers. She had watched every match she could find on youtube of the older girl. So much of Lexa’s own style had been pulled from this woman. She was the shining star of the Ark U Grounders and it would an understatement to say Lexa was a little star-struck._

“ _Okay, Kiddo, give your old man a hug,” Her dad knelt down to wrap her in a hug and she wanted shrug it off cause Anya could see, but the look in his eyes broke her. She dropped her bag and hugged his huge shoulders._

“ _Don’t let Mom boss you around too much with me gone,” She whispered to him and he just chuckled and released her._

“ _Your mother was getting her way long before you came along Kiddo,” He said and ruffled her hair and she did shrug this off._

“ _Dad!” She slapped his hand and he just stepped back and smiled._

“ _I’ll see you at the end of the week, Kiddo.”_

_Lexa grabbed her bag and followed Anya and few other of the older girls to the dorm they would be staying in for the duration of the camp. That night they had a gathering in the lobby and watched movies together so the girls could get to know each other. Lexa wasn’t the best at making friends, but she tried though she couldn’t bring herself to talk to her hero. When they had their first practice Lexa was prepared she had been training non-stop that summer anyway for nationals and she never gave anything less than a hundred percent, but if she could give a hundred and ten maybe Anya would notice. She ran harder and faster than anyone else. She was the first one on there feet after every drill and pushed the hardest during live. She thought maybe she wouldn’t get any real recognition from her hero when one practice came along and Gustus announced they were doing shark bait for live. They did this a lot back home so Lexa knew she would be pair up with four or five other girls so she was shocked when Anya came to her in the line up and picked her out specifically. She didn’t pick anyone else which was confusing but Lexa was too happy to really care. Shark bait was a brutal experience any day. One person was in the center while everyone else rotated in on them at every take down. Most of the time the person in the center was there for up to ten minutes so even the best person in the group would have a grueling work out. Anya directed Lexa to be in the center first and she was so excited she didn’t even notice that the clock had started and Anya immediately plowed through her with a full strength power double._

_Even with the wind thoroughly knocked out of her she pushed up faster than her body probably liked and immediately dropped into her stance ready for what ever was coming next. No one switched in it was just her and Anya. The woman didn’t say anything as they wrestled and Lexa quickly realized she wasn’t pulling any punches so she didn’t either. She wasn’t able to keep up mostly and she ended up on her ass more times than she could count but she never stopped getting up ready for more. The buzzer for the end of the first rotation sounded but Anya kept her in the center. Occasionally Anya would take a break but always grabbed a girl from another group to make sure Lexa didn’t get the same luxury. During the third ten minute round one of Anya’s knees caught her solidly in the nose. She was more than a little stunned but she pushed herself anyway. As soon as she was on her feet she peeled her shirt off and used it to sop up the blood and continued right on. Anya stopped her though because the nose just wouldn’t stop bleeding. As she went to the trainer for a nose plug Gustus pulled Anya to the side._

“ _What are you doing, Rivers? The whole point of this camp is to encourage girls to come here not scare them away.”_

“ _Trust me, Coach. I know what I’m doing, just watch and see. Alright, Heda, back in the center!”_

_She gritted her teeth and pushed past the point that every part of her body was aching and lips and mouth were bleeding enough she had stripes of her own blood all over her arms from wiping it away so she could breathe. She held some of her pride that Anya also seemed at least little winded. When the last ten minute rotation started Lexa had been wrestling for essentially fifty minutes non-stop and she was certain she was either going to throw up or pass out. Or throw up and pass out. Everything hurt and she could feel one eye swelling and couldn’t breathe out of her nose because of the nose plugs that kept her nose from bleeding everywhere. By this point Gustus and the other girls from the university team had congregated against the wall closest to where Anya and Lexa were wrestling. This was more than Anya just picking her out, this was a test and she honestly didn’t know if she was passing or not. Every time her legs went over her head and she hit the mat it was that much harder to get back up, but she was nothing if not stubborn and a glutton for punishment. When the final buzzer sounds and Gustus calls for everyone to start running Lexa is still on the mat and she isn’t sure she can stand let alone run._

“ _Heda! You gonna get up,” Anya was looking down at her as the other girls circled in the small room. She clenched her fists and thought of something her father always told her when she was young and she fell down or hurt herself: Get smacked down, get back up._

_She pushed up to her knees and even as her head swam she locked eyes with Anya, this woman she idolized. This woman that had thoroughly kicked her ass for almost an hour straight and stood holding her chin high. She held her eyes before turning and running with the others. She finished every sprint at the front of the pack and even as her lungs felt like they had exploded she never stopped forcing herself further. When Gustus finally called a close to practice she sat with her back to the wall and watched as everybody filtered out of the room and she was soon alone. She closed her eyes and just let her head fall. She had tried so hard. She had done everything she could but it still wasn’t enough. The tears were pushing to spill over the brims of her eyes but she didn’t want them to fall. She had already failed but she would not let Anya see her weak._

_She felt someone sit next to her but couldn’t even muster the energy to open her eyes until she heard the voice, “Gotta say that was one hell of a practice, Lexa.”_

_Her head shot up and locked eyes with Anya and saw she was smiling broader than she had ever seen. “You know I had heard about you before this camp. I admit I was intrigued, then to see the way you train, the way you push not only yourself but others around you. I had to see how far that spirit could carry you. I wasn’t disappointed. Keep that unbreakable spirit and nothing will ever stop you.”_

_With that she patted her shoulder softly and stood leaving Lexa to finally let her tears fall. This time though they were happy tears._

_When she was finally able to walk out of the wrestling she was met by Coach Pine. “Lexa, that was rather impressive. Anya can be a bit much but she usually means well. In her own way.”_

_Lexa smiled but then it shifted into a grimace when her lips split open from the motion. “Thank you, Sir.”_

“ _Please, call me Gustus or just Coach.” He said and walked with her towards the locker room. She wasn’t making very quick progress but he didn’t seem to mind at all. “Look, I know I technically can’t offer you this for another two years but if you are still interested when signing time rolls around you are welcome on this team. Full ride. You have my word.”_

_He never broke eye contact as he spoke and Lexa found herself choking back tears again. She had never wanted anything more than to wrestle at Ark and here was the head coach offering her just that. She still couldn’t verbally commit anywhere till her senior year but she would at this moment if the rules allowed. Instead she held her head high and nodded, “I’ll keep that in mind, Sir.”_

_He shook his head with a chuckle. He motioned to his own eye, “Make sure to put some ice on that one.”_

* * *

 

She had been fourteen that summer and that one week had changed her life. Anya’s methods may have been harsh and Lexa still remembers the look on her father’s face when he picked her up looking like she had been to fight club instead of a wrestling camp, but her smile had never been brighter. From that moment on Anya had made an effort to be there for her and help her become the wrestler she was today. Along the way though she had become something more. More than a mentor, she became a friend, an older sister she never knew she needed. That closeness was the reason Anya was able to pull Lexa through the toughest time of her life.

She shook her head to clear it as they entered the locker room to change for the on the mat portion of their morning work out ritual. She sat on the old bench and peeled her jacket of her arms. The thin tank she had on underneath was soaked through and stuck to her skin.

She grabbed a t-shirt from the neatly folded stack in her locker and pulled it on. Anya was pulling on her ankle brace when she glanced up at Lexa, “How was your weight this morning?”

Lexa shrugged as she grabbed her shoes, head gear, and knee pads, “Eleven over.”

Anya tilted her head, “That’s a little low. Are you trying to go down a class?”

“No.” Lexa said it simply as she turned towards the door.

“Well if you did you wouldn’t have to worry about Tsing anymore…” Anya left the sentence open-ended trying to gage Lexa’s reaction to the idea. They were walking down the hallway that led to the wrestling room. Lexa glanced and saw the curious expression and knew Anya was waiting for a response. Her shoes were tied together and slung over her shoulders. They bounced against her chest with every step.

“I run from no one, Anya.”

Anya used her key to open the room and Lexa breathed a sigh of relief as her feet sunk into familiar mats. This was her sanctuary.

They sat down and started putting their shoes on, “I didn’t say you do. Just a fact. Tsing would never make a pull like that.”

Lexa just shrugged and set about putting her gear on. Her knee pads were tight but once she started running they would loosen up. Her shoes had been a present from Gustus when she started at Ark. She remembers how they used to look but now they were grungy and she had to tape one just to keep it on her foot. Anya had her shoes on and was starting to stretch. Lexa stood and tucked her head gear intot he front of her shorts. They were standard Cliff Keen but she had decorated then with steam-punk gears on one side and dripping war paint on the other to immolate the school’s mascot.

“Let’s start with some agilities before tumbling.” Anya said and started jogging around the room. The floor boards creaked as Lexa followed after, matching pace easily.

They circled the room and went through some short drills just to ensure their muscles were loose for the usual tumbling passes.

They started with cartwheels and round offs but then did the partner drills. Lexa had a love hate relationship with these. She put her trust in Anya’s hands to support her and that was fine with Anya but she was never able to do these with anyone else. That trust just wasn’t there with anyone else. Both girls were breathing heavy by the time they were done.

Anya made sure her shirt was tucked in as Lexa slipped her head gear on.

“I was thinking we could work on your high crotch this morning. Your set up has been good but the finish seemed a little sluggish.” She said as they started hand fighting.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Lexa said as she shucked one of Anya’s arms causing her lead leg to be opened up at a good angle.

She drop-stepped through and used her momentum to pull Anya’s leg across before driving up and across, sweeping her legs out from under her. Anya grunted slightly as her shoulder and upper back connected solidly with the mat as Lexa’s shoulder drove into her stomach. Lexa pushed up and was already in her stance ready to go again when Anya moved back to her feet.

They continued drilling different moves back and forth, though Lexa focused mainly on her high crotch wanting her finish to not only be clean but powerful. By the time Anya called a water break she was hitting it seamlessly.

She sat heavily against one of the beams and took big swallows from the water bottle Anya offered. Her muscles ached but she smiled as Anya collapsed beside her. This was what home felt like. It was the only place she felt truly happy anymore.

Anya glanced her phone and then tossed it off to the side, “Let’s do the some live situations before you have to get ready for class.”

Lexa nodded in agreement and pulled her head gear back on. Most of the situations led to mad scrambles for control and by the end Lexa had one about half.

At about seven thirty Anya called a stop so Lexa would have time to shower and still get something to eat before her eight o’clock class.

“Same time tomorrow?” Anya called after her but there was no reason for the question. They had been doing these early morning work outs for just over three years now, but still she asked every morning.

“Five on the dot,” She called over her shoulder. They didn’t actually meet at five anymore but when this first started Anya was all but dragging Lexa from her bed. This was a way of making sure she was still okay. She would never forget how much the woman cared about her as long as she kept asking that same question every morning.

Lexa sat on the bench and pulled her shirt over her head before taking her shoes and knee pads off with care. She put them back in her locker just like always and she knew Anya would pick on her for being so anal but she just had a way she liked things. There was no reason to change it if it wasn’t messed up to begin with.

She didn’t even pause to step under the water after she turned on the shower. The water was freezing but the chill was a welcome shock to her flushed skin. She worked her fingers through her thick curls and as she washed the grime from the mats off her skin she mentally put her walls back up. These few hours were a refuge but now it was time to go back to the real world.

Once she showered she changed into a clean sports bra and boy shorts. She had a cut off t-shirt in her locker as well as a pair of sweats. She typically tried to look more professional for class but eight ams were a a different matter. She would change before her second class, but for now she hurried out of the gym and towards the dining hall. When she stepped up to have her card scanned she smiled shyly at Lily. The woman was well on in years but was extremely kind. The woman waved off her smile and pulled her into short hug.

“Have a good day, Lexa.”

She gave the woman a larger smile this time before retrieving her ID. “You as well, Lily. Tell Benjamin he did very well at his last game.”

“Thank you. I will,” The woman moved on to the next student.

Lily’s grandson was on the local little league football team and Lexa, Anya, and Indra had gone to a few games. Lexa even volunteered at a few. She loved helping the kids when they were really passionate about it. They reminded her of herself when she was young.

She made her way through the lines and decided to get a little more than her usual breakfast to help get her weight up. A good portion of eggs, chocolate milk, and an apple rounded out her meal. She smiled at Lily as she walked out and headed towards her class. It was just another day, but for Lexa it was another step. Another step away from where she had been. Another step closer to what she could be.


	2. Chapter 2

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. This was her third year at Ark University and that meant it was time for her practical hours. Clarke had chosen Ark specifically for its athletic training program and now she was actually getting to use everything she had learned. Today she would find out which team she would be shadowing for the year with Jackson. She wasn’t allowed to work with the dance and cheer team, of course, because she was competing and training along side them. This carried quite a bit of weight when it came to her final grade this year. SO yeah it was definitely something to be nervous about.

When she walked into the training center Jackson looked up from where he was stocking a taping table and smiled. She had always liked him and was over joyed when he was assigned as her mentor for her practical experience.

“Hi, Jackson. Just thought I’d come check in. Need any help today?” She asked. Just looking around she felt at home with the tables and tape. She really loved helping athletes even if she didn’t actually know many of them outside of her own team. Every time she walked into this room it just reinforced that she had made the right choice of major.

“Nope. We haven’t had many people in today which I figure is because most teams haven’t started training yet.” Jackson said but handed her the box of tape and motioned for her to follow him. They worked well together as they stocked the tables and then the shelves in the back of the training center.

When they were done she followed him back to the small office that he shared with another trainer and sat down. He knew why she had actually come to see him that day.

“So…you are probably curious about who you are gonna be helping me with this year, huh?” He asked and she smiled.

“A little curious, yeah,” She said and scooted forward to look at the piece of paper he had just pulled from a folder on his desk.

Clarke scanned it until she found Jackson’s name and saw he was given; swimming (men’s and women’s), baseball, women’s volleyball, and women’s wrestling.

She frowned. Swimming wouldn’t work because most of their practices overlapped with cheer too much. Women’s volleyball also wouldn’t work because she danced or cheered at all of their games, though practices could get her a few hours at least. Baseball would work well but it was so close to the end of the year she didn’t want to cut it that close in case she ran short on hours. That only left one option for dependable amount of hours. The women’s wrestling team; with practices and a few tournaments she could finish her practical hours before the spring semester even really got into full swing. But the bad part of this was the only viable option was the women’s wrestling team.

Clarke didn’t necessarily have anything against them, but she knew literally none of them. It also didn’t help that a majority of the team had some kind of beef with the dancers. Parties were always a mine field of fights between the two teams. It honestly drove Clarke nuts. She was never there to see how it started but she was there to hear about it for weeks afterward. As much as she liked and trusted the girls on her squad she never picked a side on something without the whole story. Her father taught her that.

Jackson snapped her out of her thoughts when he spoke, “From what I know of the cheer schedule and your classes the women’s wrestling is probably your best bet to get a good amount of hours. Do you think that will work well or do you want to wait for baseball in the spring?”

She swallowed and handed the paper back to him knowing that even if it caused some awkwardness it really was the best plan, “Sounds good. I’ll send you my class and cheer schedule so we can figure out which tournaments I can travel to. Also can you send me a finalized practice schedule once the coach sets it up.”

“Sure thing, Clarke. And don’t worry, I have a feeling the practical portion of this major will come naturally to you.” Jackson said as he encouragingly patted her shoulder.

* * *

 

She was walking through campus when her phone buzzed in her pocket. She dug it out and smiled when she saw it was from her best friend.

**Oh Wells:**

**Hey, have time for dinner in the cafe?**

She typed out a quick reply and changed course so she was headed in the right direction.

**Clark(e) Kent:**

**Yeah, headed that way now. Meet you at the soda fountains?**

**Oh Wells:**

**You know it! :)**

If there was anyone she could talk to about the predicament with her practical hours, it was Wells.

They had met during freshman orientation and learned quickly that they both shared a love for chess and a dislike of most forms of entertainment college students tended to indulge in. The first time they hung out it had been to play chess and one game turned into a tradition. Wells was always easy to talk to and was the first person she trusted enough to talk to about her father. Both of their majors kept them busy now but they still made time to see each other if only for a short chess match or grabbing a bite to eat.

When she reached the cafe she loaded up her plate with a huge chicken salad and a bowl of golden grahams. If anyone needed proof of her being a college student was currently in her hands.

She saw Wells standing by the fountain with two glasses in hand, He knew her too well.

“Pick your poison, Ms. Griffin?” He swung an arm out to the fountain.

She pretended to peruse the flavor options and then smiled and pointed to one, “Root beer…on the rocks.”

He laughed and proceeded to fill her glass with root beer and a decent amount of ice.

When they sat down Wells asked, “So what is the lucky team that gets Clarke Griffin as their student athletic trainer?”

She groaned and took another bite of cereal.

“Ooo…is it that bad? Oh no it isn’t the golf team is it? You hate golf!” He said his eyes widening into a false shocked expression.

“No, it isn’t the golf team. It’s the women’s wrestling team.” She said as she picked through her salad for the pieces of chicken. It was her favorite part so she usually dug it all out and then ate the rest afterward.

“What is so bad about shadowing them? I’ve seen some of their matches and they are pretty entertaining.” He said as his eyes squinted in confusion.

“I don’t even know one person on the team though. I may also be a little wary because of all the drama that keeps happening with the girls.” Clarke said and watched as Wells nodded slowly.

He took a long drink from his soda and then turned his full attention to her. “Clarke, I don’t think you have anything to be worried about. Most of the stuff with the girls is just stupid drama that gets blown way out of proportion by the time you hear about it.”

She knew wells wasn’t wrong. She only heard about most of these things second hand and usually only heard the one side of things from the girls.

He reached over the table and grabbed her hand, “You don’t have to make friends with them. You are there to make sure the crazy shit they do for their sport doesn’t get them killed or seriously injured. And if it does you are there to help them get better. Unless they die then send a nice bouquet of flowers.” He smiled broadly and squeezed her hand, “Knowing you though, you’ll end up with a whole slew of new friends out of this whole thing.”

She squeezed his hand in return and smiled weakly, “As always you’re right. I just need to calm down and focus on the job at hand. What would I do with out you?”

“Probably completely lose your mind.” He said with a shrug.

She punched his arm, “Shut up.”

* * *

 

Clarke walked into the room and smiled when she saw the girls standing around the room. This was the first time she was seeing most of the girls since the summer ended.

Most of them were happily chatting and a few looked up and smiled when they met her eye. She had actually missed most of the girls, though a few had staying in touch over the summer.

She walked up to one of the groups and slipped easily into conversation. A lot of the girls had gotten some form of summer job or worked in internships. A few even went on extravagant vacations with their families. Another girl walked up to their group and Clarke recognized Makensie though she had died her hair over the summer. She was a pretty girl with sharp features aside from a small button nose. Last year her hair had been closer to Clarke’s natural blonde but now it was almost black and made it down past her shoulder blades.

“So, Clarke, do you know which team you get to work with this year?” Makensie asked and Clarke wasn’t surprised by the question. The whole team knew she was starting her practical experience this year and Makensie was always digging for new information to gossip about. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to answer this particular question for the gossip mill.

“From what Jackson has told me it looks like I’ll be with the women’s wrestling team mostly.” She said and was more than a little surprised to see Makensie’s face twist into one of utter disgust.

“Oh boy, that means putting up with their bitch of a captain.” The girl sneered and flipped her hair over her shoulder, which Clarke recognized as a sign she was about to go on a rant. It happened quite a bit int eh time she had known her.

“What do you mean?” She almost didn’t want to ask but she knew that once Makensie had caught the opportunity to gossip she wouldn’t let it go easily.

“Just that she is such a bitch. Completely cold…heartless even. Her name is Alexandria Heda. You have probably seen her walking around acting all high and mighty. She struts around campus like she owns the place, ugh!” Makensie was looking at her expectantly but she had honestly heard the name in passing once or twice but it didn’t hold any meaning to her.

“Well, either way she is completely stuck up and just thinks she is better than the rest of us. Be careful with her, I don’t want that bitch ruining your practicals.” She said and grabbed Clarke’s arm trying to put as much feeling in the gesture as possible

Clarke wasn’t sure if she should trust anything Makensie said when she was that venomous in her description, but it didn’t exactly instill confidence for the coming year. She my be exaggerating but there had to be something that caused such a harsh reaction.

_Great. This is gonna be interesting._

* * *

 

Waking up from nightmares has never been fun and she shouldn’t be surprised when she wakes up on the cold floor of her dorm room but she is really getting tired of this. She sits up and can feel the kinks in her back from the fall already. This isn’t the first time she has bolted awake this violently but at least this time she didn’t remember anything. She thanked her brain for at least giving her waking hours some sanity. She knew it was just the anxiety of finding out her practical team dragging up old demons but that didn’t mean she had to like it.

When she reached her desk where her phone was plugged in she groaned at the bright screen but also the time it showed: 5:44 am.

After waking up like that there is no way she was getting back to sleep but there was one good thing about being up before the sun. She grabbed a warm blanket as well as her sketch pad and pencils. The campus was a ghost town this early and She appreciated the silence. As she rounded the corner of her dorm building she caught the sound of something in the distance. Heavy foot falls and she saw to people running up the deserted street at a dead sprint. She watched as one seemed to pull ahead and edge out the other to win this race of sorts. The other collapsed to the ground and the woman who had won the race prodded the other which earned her a beanie to the face. She could just hear the laughter from this distance. Something about the whole scene warmed her heart and made her smile as she continued her trek to the bench that gave the perfect vantage point for drawing the sunrise. When she sat down and pulled the blanket around her shoulders she found herself not sketching the familiar scenery but the image of two women laughing after a hard run.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo....I'm not dead. I don't really have an excuse except that I work in retail and it has been crazy. That is pretty much it. Hope you guys like this and I have something pretty big coming so keep an eye out for that.

When Lexa turned the corner into the main hallway she paused by Gustus and Anya’s joint office. She was supposed to be on her way to the team meeting and it wasn’t that she didn’t want to go. Things like this just always put her on edge. Her core group, the people she cared about was changing yet again and she was never ready to face that even though it happened every year. She walked into the office and sat on the old worn leather couch, the springs groaned from the sudden weight. She leaned back until the curve of her neck rested perfectly on the back of the couch and just closed her eyes. The team, her people, meant everything to her. When new elements were added it always caused her anxiety to spike. Usually her worries were for nothing but that didn’t stop them from swelling in her chest.

“Meeting isn’t just gonna go away if you ignore it,” The voice caused Lexa to smile slightly. Even though she couldn’t see who it belonged to she knew.

She opened her eyes and looked towards the door where a woman was leaning against the frame. Her hair was cropped close to her scalp on the sides with a faux hawk cresting the top of her head. She had a metal bar through the top of her ear and Lexa could see the glint of silver rings easily against the dark skin of her brow and lip. She was wearing her usual leather vest over a gray t-shirt and ripped black jeans. Lexa wanted to chuckle at the image, she fully embodied the ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe but Lexa knew the truth under the harsh exterior.

She stood from the couch and straightened her button down. Lexa extended her arm as she walked towards the woman and she accepted it with a firm but reassuring grip. “Indra, how was your summer?”

“It was good, Commander, the dojo kept me very busy and in very good shape. How has your off season been?” She said as she released Lexa’s arm.

“I don’t take an off season, you know that, Indra. I’m glad the dojo is doing well. I need to stop by and throw your dad around a bit, make sure he doesn’t get too full of himself.” Lexa said happily. Indra’s father had a martial arts dojo in town and was always open to the girls coming by to work on their judo. He was frustrated beyond belief when he discovered he couldn’t throw Lexa and she was determined to never let him forget it.

Indra scoffed, “He would love that. He has been saying all summer how he thinks he finally figured out a trick that might work. You know him though, all brute strength, no finesse. Until he learns that he will never best you.”

Lexa nodded and they turned down the hallway toward the room. Lexa felt better with her co-captain by her side. If too much changed at least she knew this wouldn’t. “Have you heard anything about the new recruits?”

Indra nodded, “I hear good things about Young and we have a transfer, I can’t remember her name off-hand, but she looks promising from what I remember.” 

Lexa followed along and tried to recall everything she could about the names Anya had listed to her weeks ago. The recruiting class this year had been rich with talent and getting Young had been a windfall for Ark, but she didn’t remember any mention of a transfer. “Anya and I both followed Young’s road to nationals this past summer. She has quite a bit of potential and should be a good addition to the team.”

Indra stood to the side when they reached the door of the wrestling room. Lexa scanned the room and nodded when she made eye contact with Anya and Gustus, who stood against a far wall talking quietly to each other. She didn’t try to take in the faces all around her as she relaxed against a pillar facing the door.

At four o’clock on the dot Gustus cleared his throat loudly and the chatter in the room ceased. Every Head turned the big man, “Ladies…it’s good to see you all. For those returning welcome back and those of you who are new to our ranks…welcome to Ark. I’m Coach Gustus Pine, please call me Gustus or Coach. You respect me, I will respect you. I am the protector of this team and I do my job well. Anya.”

The blonde stepped forward and slowly looked over the  girls sitting and kneeling on the mat in front of her, “As Gustus said my name is Anya. If you ever call me ma’am you will regret it. I am mostly responsible for the team's conditioning and lifting. If I do my job correctly you will learn to hate me before long.”

Lexa chuckled at how dramatic she was being but knew it couldn’t be more true. Anya eyed her and shook her head as she continued on, “I have a very low threshold for bullshit, so keep it to a minimum, and we’ll get along just fine. Anything you’d like to say, Commander?”

Lexa rolled her eyes but stood and dusted off her shirt, “Hello, everyone. My name is Lexa Heda and I am the team captain though as Anya so lovingly pointed out most just call me the Commander. The one thing I want all of you to know is this team is so much more than the individuals that make it up. This team is a family, my family. Now I will protect my people above all else, but if you cause problems on this team I will protect them from you. Let that be understood.” She slowly scanned the room and noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. A brunette had just slipped through the door quietly and squatted against the wall.

She cleared her throat softly, “On a lighter note, we have new faces, so let's go around and do some introductions. As I said I’m Lexa. I’m a senior and I’ll be wrestling at one thirty this year.”

Lexa let out a breath and sat down and motioned for Indra to stand. The woman scowled but followed the direction. She glared around the room before stating brusquely, “I’m Indra Collier, I hate slackers and anyone who touches my bike. Aside from you, Reyes. I’m a fifth year senior and I wrestle at one thirty-eight.”

She sat down and Lexa nudged her shoulder. She barely caught the smirk before it fell from the woman’s face. The next person to stand up was a small lithe girl with dirty blonde hair. She stood straight and as tall as her small stature allowed, “Hi, I’m Tris Young. I’m an incoming freshman, I wrestle one-o-one and I’m excited to be part of this team.”

The brunette that stood up next had short cropped hair with fading blue at the tips. Their features were soft but their eyes held weight behind them, “I’m Zoe Monroe. I’m a sophomore and wrestle one-o-nine, also I prefer they and them pronouns.” 

Lexa lifted her head and made a mental note to talk to them about the pronouns to make sure she wouldn’t accidentally offend them. She also noticed when they sat down again, Harper immediately laced their hands together. That was also new, but not an unwelcome sight. The two had been dancing around each other for the past year. She moved her head to take in the next woman to stand. She wasn’t someone Lexa had ever seen before. She had long red hair and stood at least six foot tall. Her frame was thin but strong, maybe this was the new transfer Indra had mentioned.

“Hey…I’m Danny Lawrence. I’m a transferring senior and I’m wrestling one seventy. To be brief the reason I transferred is because my old school had a restructure that made it a little…unlivable, but I’m glad to be here and get to know all you lovely people.”

Lexa nodded, the redhead would make an interesting addition to the team. She jumped when a hand shot up to her left, a soft voice followed shortly, “Sorry but I’m pretty sure Roma is asleep so no standing for me. I’m Luna and I’m at one ninety-one. I’m your typical momma bear; super fluffy until you mess with her cubs. You are all my cubs now.”

Anya groaned and walked over to where a girl was dozing off on the Luna’s stomach. The woman grabbed her ankle, “Aw come on, go easy on her. She drove sixteen hours to make it here for this.”

Anya rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling, “Fine, but she can finish this nap after the meeting.” She said before she nudged the woman in the ribs gently. Roma jumped up and rubbed her eyes.

“Sorry, Coach.”

Anya shrugged and nudged the girl’s shoulder with her knee, “Eh, just don’t do it again.”

Lexa zoned out as the rest of the girls introduced themselves her attention snapped back when the brunette that slipped in late stood. Her eyes focus on the girl. She is young with bright green eyes and long straight hair. She had her eyes jumped from faces around the room and she swallowed heavily.

“My name is Octavia Blake. I don’t know the weight classes for women’s wrestling but I’ll probably be about one twenty-five. I’ve never wrestled before but I’ve been around it my whole life. My family just didn’t think it was something that girls should do, but now they can’t stop me. I’m gonna prove I deserve to be here. That’s…that’s all I have.”

The room was quiet as she sat down and Gustus stepped forward again, “Spend the rest of the week getting to know one another. We have an open mat Friday just to gage where everyone is. See you all there.”

As the girls shuffled out Lexa stood and stretched her cramped back. She felt several pops and sighed in relief. Now that the meeting was over she could feel the anxiety bleeding away. She could focus on the year ahead. When she stepped out of the room someone was waiting for her. 

“Um…Commander?”

She turned to see Octavia waiting for a reply.

“Yes, you are Blake, right?” she asked even though she knew the answer. The girl immediately relaxed a little and looked up nodding. Lexa looked at her and waited for the question she could see brewing in the girl’s eyes, “Did you need something?”

“Yeah…yeah, I was wondering if you could show me some moves before Friday?” She asked and Lexa raised an eyebrow not fully understanding what the girl was asking her to do.

“Moves…as in?”

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve never wrestled before. I don’t want to make a fool of myself. I thought maybe you could help with that?” She asked and Lexa smirked. This girl had spirit, a fire she recognized from her own eyes in the mirror. She frowned though as she ran through her schedule in her mind.

“I really don’t have the time in my schedule this week, but I’d ask Indra. She is better at the basics anyway and an excellent teacher. Plus, she’ll enjoy your spunk.” She said and Octavia’s face split in a toothy grin.

“Thank you, Lexa, I will. So…see you Friday?” Lexa nodded.

As Octavia turned away Lexa’s voice made her pause and turn back to her, “Octavia…from now on you will be early for every practice and meeting…understood?”

She left no room for argument and the wide eyed brunette nodded as Lexa turned away.

* * *

 

Lexa slipped her head gear into the front of her shorts as she walked down the hall. The open mat wasn't scheduled to start for another thirty minutes but she liked to get to the room early so she could be sure to have enough time to get in the proper head space. 

She was shocked when she pushed the door open and saw Octavia laying on the mat. The girl had her eyes closed and large black headphones over her ears. Lexa could just hear the thumping of heavy bass coming from the head phones. 

She smirked as she softly walked up next to the girl and then loudly dropped her shoes and knee pads next to her head. 

The brunette's eyes shot open and she jumped almost a foot in the air. Lexa laughed softly at the look on her face as she sat to start putting on her gear. 

Octavia ripped the headphones off roughly and scowled, "Shit! You scared me, Commander!" 

Lexa smirked again and started the process to tape her shoe in place, "I'm well aware, Blake. It was rather humorous. You're here early." 

She meant it as nothing more than an observation but Octavia's brow furrowed and she stammered, "But I thought...you...said..." 

"Oh, I'm well aware of what I said," Lexa cut the girl off but gave her a reassuring smile, "It's good to know you were listening though." 

Octavia just shrugged, “I didn’t feel like I really had a choice in the matter.”

“You didn’t.” Lexa said offhandedly, “So, did you get to meet up with Indra this week?”

The fire she saw flicker in Octavia’s eyes gave as much of an answer as the brunette’s words, “I did. Several times, actually.”

Lexa stood at that and stretched her arms over her head. She dropped them back to her sides and shook them to loosen the muscles, “Good, let’s see how much you picked up.”

Octavia’s jaw dropped and she stuttered, “M-m-me…against…you?”

Lexa raised her eyebrow and held a hand out towards the empty mat room, “Is there anyone else here?”

The brunette shook her head and Lexa smiled softly, “Okay then. Let’s see your stance.”

Octavia scrambled to her feet and dropped into a stance that was very close copy to Indra’s and a good one at that but Lexa could see a few ways to improve it.

“Hmm…not bad, but remember your body is different than Indra’s so your style will be too. She has heavier hips which means she can leave more open without as much risk. You are smaller and lighter. You need to compact your stance to help protect your legs. If someone can’t get to your legs they can’t score on you.” She explained before dropping into her own stance.

Octavia looked her over and adjusted her stance to a lower position but she left her lead leg open. Lexa faked forward and when the girl flinched away from her lead leg she was able to snatch her leg at the knee. Octavia was forced backwards and hopped on her back leg unsteadily. 

After a few moments Lexa dropped her leg and allowed her to straighten up, “You still have to protect that lead leg. If you stagger your stance a bit more you can focus on that lead leg because your body itself is protecting the trail leg.”

After a few more minute adjustments Octavia and Lexa started to circle each other slowly and Lexa picked up on her planted her lead leg. She watched for it to happen again and shot down to pick her heel off the mat. Octavia yelped and fell back on her butt. “Protect it but don’t plant it. Be light on the balls of your feet.”

She offered a hand and help Octavia back up to her feet.

The girl nodded and adjusted her movements and Lexa could see that she was a natural at making minor adjustments to her body control the the sport required. As she reached for Octavia’s wrists to start hand fighting she spoke, “Did Indra go over any take downs with you?”

The girl was focused on clearing Lexa’s hands from her wrists but managed the clipped answer, “Yeah, a few.”

Lexa took a step back and shook out her arms, “Good…then attack me.”

Octavia looked skeptical but Lexa urged her on, “Come on, Blake, show me what you got.”

They circled slowly and Lexa watched the other girl’s hips and when she saw her drop her level she prepared herself to defend. Octavia swung into a high crotch and managed to get one hand behind Lexa’s knee before she shucked her shoulder by and blocked her with her hip. She stepped around and locked her hands between Octavia’s legs for a crotch throw. Lexa had just hoisted the brunette up onto her hip to flip her over her head when a voice made her pause mid-throw.

“What are you doing, Heda?” She turned her head and saw Anya standing by the door with her shoes hanging from around her neck.

Lexa smiled jokingly, “Would you believe me if I said I was educating the youth?”

Anya rolled her eyes, “Not for a second. Put the poor girl down.”

Lexa gently placed Octavia back on the mat and stepped away. The brunette seemed happy to be back on solid ground and looked up at her. Lexa looked back at Anya, who was fiddling with the radio, before kneeling next to the girl, “Don’t worry, you’ll do just fine, Blake.”

She stood and made her way over to Anya and the blonde raised an eyebrow at her, “Was that really necessary?”

“You’re right. I should have kicked the shit out of her for an hour to really build her character first.” Lexa said and smirked at the older woman. She loved bringing up what happened at that first camp. It had been unorthodox, but Lexa wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Anya groaned loudly, “Never gonna let that go, are you?”

“I looked like a raccoon for almost two weeks because you broke my nose. Overkill much?” Lexa said and both woman just laughed. She placed a soft hand on Anya’s shoulder before turning away, “I’ll be in my corner.”

“Hermit,” Was all the blonde said in response.

Lexa looked over her shoulder, “What do you expect when I have to spend so much time around the likes of you?”

“Oh, shut it, Heda.”

She settled herself into the corner farthest from the door. This gave her enough distance to observe the girls as they trickled in but gave her enough distance to get her mind focused. A few minutes before the open mat was scheduled to start she saw Jackson come through the door. 

She didn’t much like trainers but knew they were a necessary evil in such a  physical sport. Jackson was a good man and knew that if the girls wanted to compete he wouldn’t be able to stop them, only help to make sure they didn’t hurt themselves worse. She also took notice of the blonde that walked in with him. She felt like she knew her but a name continued to elude her.

Gustus walked in and cut the radio off which caused the chatter to cease. Lexa stood and walked to the group but still kept close to the back.

“Alright, everybody, before we get started you all know Yorkie graduated this past spring so we have a new student athletic trainer.” The blonde stood when Gustus motioned to her, “This is Clarke Griffin and she will be assisting Jackson in making sure you girls stay healthy.”

_ Clarke…isn’t she on the dance team? Lovely, just what we need. _

“Heda, why don’t you run everybody through warm ups.” Lexa snapped out of her thoughts and nodded.

She pulled her head gear on and shouted. “Everybody up and jogging.”

Her eyes lingered on the blonde and hoped she wasn’t going to cause trouble in the team. She would have to keep an eye on her to insure that didn’t happen.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr (smttnpegasus.tumblr.com)


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